SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — Marshwood High School football coach Alex Rotsko has enjoyed watching his defense on the field this season.

Today, he’d like to see as little of it as possible.

After a week of anticipation, it’s finally go time this afternoon when top-seeded Marshwood (9-1) hosts third-seeded York (8-2) in the Western Maine Class B championship game (12:30 p.m.), with a berth in next weekend’s state title game on the line.

They do it from different formations, but both ground-oriented teams will share the same strategy today — possess the ball, limit mistakes and try to finish drives on offense, and get off the field as quickly as possible on defense.

“We’d love to get some three-and-outs,” said Rotsko. “Those teams that run the ball like they do, it’s those seven-, eight- and nine-play drives that kill you, even if they don’t score.”

The Wildcats have clicked offensively by riding big back Sean Kelly. Kelly, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound junior, ran for nearly 300 yards in his team’s first two playoff games, using his powerful legs and big upper body to run into and over would-be tacklers.

Even with the Westbrook defense keying on him in last week’s 21-14 semifinal win — he was held to 45 yards on 15 carries in the first half — he eventually broke off some nice gains, finishing with 101 on 25 carries. Quarterback Ross Hogan added 141 yards on 6-of-9 passing.

“We can’t watch the game defensively,” said York coach Randy Small. “We’ve got to follow our keys. If we’re watching, we’re going to be in trouble.”

The two teams opened their seasons here way back on Aug. 31, with the Hawks, who’d gone 2-6 in each of the three previous years, giving the first indication that they were a team to be reckoned with, ruling the second half in a 28-12 win.

“We probably played our worst game of the season that night,” said Kelly.

The field at Marshwood was empty Friday, save for a lone groundskeeper lining the still damp but certainly playable grass. That won’t be the case today, when a few thousand people will pack the bleachers and ring the fence.

None of the players, on either side, have played in a regional final. Marshwood last went in 2007, when it lost the Western Maine Class A final at Bonny Eagle; York hasn’t been since 2005.

“A lot of us are trying to zone it out,” said Marshwood free safety Noah Kreider. “We’re trying to think about the game more. It’s hard to think about two different things. If you think about the crowd more than the game you’ll get caught looking and you can fall behind. You can’t do that.”

The winner earns a VIP ticket to next Saturday’s slate of state title games at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland. The opponent will be the Eastern Maine champion, either top-seeded Mt. Blue (10-0) or No. 6 Waterville (6-4), who played in Farmington on Friday night.

But before that, today is a day for two sets of local football fans to savor, one that won’t be forgotten for years.

“The great thing about this is it’s gonna allow two football communities to be around each other,” said Small. “It’s a win-win situation for both teams. It’s great for southern York (County) football.”

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Marshwood has earned the Sportsmanship Award for Western Maine football, which includes 29 programs in Class A, Class B and Class C, athletic director Rich Buzzell said Friday.

A banner will be presented during a short ceremony before Saturday’s coin toss. It’s the first time Marshwood football has won the award since 1991.